Terms of Service

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age (or the minimum age of digital consent in your jurisdiction, such as 16 in certain EU member states) to use the Application. If you are under 18 (or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction), you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agrees to these Terms on your behalf. By using the Application, you represent and warrant that you meet these age requirements.

No Age Verification: The Application does not implement age verification mechanisms and relies entirely on users to comply with these age requirements. Parents and guardians are responsible for monitoring their children's use of mobile devices and applications.

Family Documents: If you store documents belonging to family members, including children, you represent that you have the legal authority (parental, guardianship, or otherwise) to hold and manage those documents on their behalf.

2. License Grant

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Application for your personal, non-commercial purposes strictly in accordance with these Terms. For purchased (Pro) features, this license is perpetual for the major version you purchased (v1.x) and is revocable only for your material breach of these Terms. This license does not include the right to:

• Modify, copy, or create derivative works based on the Application
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Application
• Rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, or transfer the Application
• Use the Application for any unlawful purpose

Apple App Store Terms: If you obtained the Application from the Apple App Store, you acknowledge that: (a) these Terms are between you and us only, not with Apple, and Apple is not responsible for the Application or its content; (b) your license is limited to use on Apple-branded products that you own or control, as permitted by the App Store Usage Rules (including Family Sharing where enabled); (c) Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the Application; (d) in the event of any failure of the Application to conform to an applicable warranty, you may notify Apple and Apple will refund the purchase price to you, and to the maximum extent permitted by law Apple has no other warranty obligation; (e) Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims relating to the Application, including product liability, regulatory, or consumer protection claims, or claims that the Application infringes third-party intellectual property rights; (f) you must comply with applicable third-party terms when using the Application; (g) you represent and warrant that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated by the U.S. Government as a "terrorist supporting" country, and that you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties; and (h) Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and may enforce them against you. Developer contact: Mustafa Hafeez, support@traveldocumentvault.com.

Google Play Terms: If you obtained the Application from Google Play, purchases, refunds, and reinstalls are additionally governed by the Google Play Terms of Service and refund policies. You may reinstall the Application and restore your Pro purchase on devices using the same Google account. Nothing in these Terms limits any obligation we have under the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement, including handling support and defect complaints for paid features.

3. User Responsibilities & Assumption of Risk

YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT:

• Sole Responsibility: You are solely and exclusively responsible for: (a) the accuracy, completeness, and validity of all information you enter into the Application; (b) verifying all data extracted by OCR before relying on it; (c) tracking your own document expiry dates independently of this Application; (d) carrying original physical documents when traveling; (e) complying with all visa, passport, and travel document requirements; (f) maintaining backups of your data; and (g) all consequences of your use or inability to use the Application.
• No Substitute for Professional Advice: This Application is NOT a substitute for professional legal, immigration, or travel advice. You must consult appropriate professionals and official government sources for all travel document requirements, visa regulations, and immigration matters.
• Device Security: You are solely responsible for: (a) maintaining the physical security of your device; (b) setting strong device passcodes; (c) enabling device encryption; (d) protecting your device from malware and viruses; (e) not sharing your device with untrusted individuals; and (f) all security breaches resulting from your failure to secure your device.
• Data Backup: You acknowledge that the Application stores all data locally on your device and that WE HAVE NO ACCESS TO YOUR DATA and CANNOT RECOVER IT if lost. A device or system backup (iCloud Backup, Google Backup) reinstalls the Application but CANNOT restore your documents on a new or reset device, because the encryption key never leaves your original device. To keep a restorable backup you must use the optional Your Own Cloud backup (a Pro feature) or the free Vault Export. You are solely responsible for maintaining such backups. Failure to do so may result in permanent, unrecoverable data loss.
• Verification Duty: You must independently verify: (a) all document expiry dates; (b) all data extracted by OCR; (c) all reminder notifications; (d) all travel document requirements for your destination; (e) the six-month passport validity rule; (f) any other information displayed by the Application before relying on it; and (g) all visa rules and stay-limit or allowance calculations (including Schengen, residency, and tax-residency day-count calculations) against official government, embassy, or border authority sources.
• Assumption of Risk: You expressly assume all risks associated with: (a) storing sensitive documents on a mobile device; (b) relying on automated reminders; (c) using OCR technology; (d) potential app crashes or unavailability; (e) device loss, theft, or damage; (f) software bugs or errors; (g) operating system compatibility issues; (h) inaccurate or incomplete stay-limit, visa, or tax-residency day-count calculations; and (i) any other technical, security, or operational risks.
• Compliance with Laws: You are solely responsible for ensuring your use of the Application complies with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, regulations, and rules, including but not limited to data protection laws, export control laws, and travel regulations.
• No Reliance: You acknowledge that you should NOT rely on this Application as your sole method of tracking document expiry dates and that you must maintain independent systems and records. The Application is provided as a convenience tool only.
• Third-Party Services: You acknowledge that the Application's functionality may depend on third-party services (Apple iOS, Google Android, device operating systems, notification systems) that are beyond our control and that we are not responsible for any failures, limitations, or changes to these third-party services.
• Updates and Changes: You acknowledge that we may update, modify, suspend, or discontinue the Application or any features at any time without notice, and that such changes may affect functionality, data accessibility, or your ability to use the Application.

4. Not an Official Document & Travel Disclaimer

Travel Document Vault is a personal organization tool. It is NOT a government-issued identification system. You adhere to the following strict understandings:

• Digital copies are not valid for travel: Images stored in this Application are for personal reference only. They will NOT be accepted by border control, airport security (TSA), or airlines as valid travel identification.
• Physical documents required: You must ALWAYS carry your original, physical passports, visas, and IDs. We are not responsible if you travel without them.
• No verification of validity: The Application does not verify if a passport is stolen, invalid, or forged. It only stores the data you enter.
• Reminders are best-effort only: Expiry reminders are provided as a convenience feature but are NOT GUARANTEED. Notifications may fail to deliver due to: operating system bugs, device settings, battery optimization, notification permissions being disabled, app crashes, software updates, device restarts, or other technical issues outside our control. YOU remain solely and exclusively responsible for tracking your document expiry dates and renewal deadlines. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we accept no liability for missed reminders or expired documents.
• Stay-limit and allowance calculations are best-effort only: Visa allowance, Schengen 90/180-day, and tax-residency day-count calculations are provided as a convenience feature but are NOT GUARANTEED to be accurate or complete. Calculations depend entirely on the trip dates and rules you enter, and official rules can change without notice. YOU remain solely and exclusively responsible for verifying your visa, stay-limit, and residency status with the relevant embassy, border authority, or tax office before you travel. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we accept no liability for denied entry, overstays, or tax consequences arising from reliance on these calculations.
• OCR is not perfect: Data extraction (OCR) may make mistakes (e.g., reading a '1' as a '7'). You agree that you will manually verify every single field after scanning.
• No guarantee of acceptance: We do not guarantee that documents exported or shared from this Application will be accepted by embassies, consulates, visa offices, government agencies, or any third party. You are solely responsible for verifying that submitted documents meet all requirements of the receiving entity.

5. Data Storage and Loss

By default, all data stored in the Application is kept on your local device. We do not operate any servers, cloud storage, or means of data recovery, and we never have access to your data. The Application offers an optional Your Own Cloud backup feature (included with Pro - see our Pricing Policy): if you enable it, an end-to-end encrypted copy of your vault is stored in your own iCloud or Google Drive account, which you control and we cannot access or read. Separately, if you have iCloud Backup (iOS) or Google Backup (Android) enabled at the operating-system level, your data is included in that device backup, which is handled by your operating system, not by us. You acknowledge that:

• Deleting the Application will permanently delete all data stored within it
• Device loss, damage, or malfunction may result in permanent data loss if you do not maintain a Your Own Cloud backup (Pro) or a Vault Export
• We cannot recover any data that is lost for any reason, as we never had access to it
• The onus is solely on you to keep your own backups, whether by enabling the optional Your Own Cloud backup (Pro) or exporting your data with the free Vault Export. A device or system backup (iCloud Backup, Google Backup) reinstalls the Application but cannot restore your documents on a new or reset device. We do not operate any backup server and cannot recover data on your behalf
• Data may be lost if the app is deleted or the device is reset without a backup
• Bulk operations (such as batch delete) are irreversible after the brief undo window closes. We strongly recommend exporting a backup before performing bulk deletions. We are not responsible for data loss resulting from bulk operations
• Export and backup files are provided "as is." We do not guarantee that exported or backed-up files will be free from corruption, readable by other applications, or that they will restore successfully. Files may become corrupted due to storage media failures, software bugs, or other factors beyond our control. You are solely responsible for verifying the integrity and usability of your backups
• Document theft or unauthorized access: We are not responsible if documents stored in the Application are accessed, viewed, stolen, or copied by unauthorized persons due to: device theft, device being left unlocked, sharing your device with others, malware, spyware, shoulder surfing, screen recording, or any other means. You assume all risks of storing sensitive documents on a mobile device
• File corruption: Document files, images, or data stored in the Application may become corrupted, unreadable, or permanently damaged due to: software bugs, operating system crashes, device hardware failures, storage media degradation, or any other cause. We bear no responsibility for corrupted files

6. No Guarantees

While the app uses system protections provided by your device’s operating system and encrypts content on disk, we cannot guarantee that your data will be immune from unauthorized access. You acknowledge that:

• No method of electronic storage is 100% secure.
• We are not responsible for security breaches resulting from a compromised device, weak passcode, malware, or operating system vulnerabilities.
• You assume all risks associated with storing sensitive documents on a mobile device.

7. Purchases, Updates, and Refunds

The Application offers optional in-app purchases ("Pro" features). All purchases are processed through the respective app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store). You acknowledge that:

• Pro purchases grant permanent access to all premium features in the purchased version
• All bug fixes, security updates, and feature improvements within the current major version (v1.x) are included at no additional cost
• Future major versions (e.g., v2.0, v3.0) may be offered as separate purchases (see our Pricing Policy)
• This is a one-time purchase with no recurring fees or subscription charges for the purchased version

Regarding refunds and payment processing:

• All purchases are processed by Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android)
• Refund requests must be directed to your app store (Apple or Google) through their standard refund process
• We do not process payments directly, handle refunds, or have access to your payment information
• App store refund policies and your statutory refund rights apply; timeframes and eligibility vary by store, country, and circumstances
• You may restore purchases on other devices using your app store account

8. Intellectual Property

The Application and its original content, features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of Mustafa Hafeez. The Application is protected by copyright and other laws. The "Travel Document Vault" name and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service without prior written consent.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
• WARRANTIES THAT THE APPLICATION WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE
• WARRANTIES THAT NOTIFICATIONS OR REMINDERS WILL BE DELIVERED
• WARRANTIES THAT THE APPLICATION WILL NOT CRASH OR BECOME UNAVAILABLE WHEN YOU NEED IT
• WARRANTIES REGARDING THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE APPLICATION
• WARRANTIES THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED

You use the Application at your own risk. We do not warrant that the results obtained from the use of the Application will be accurate or reliable. The Application may crash, freeze, or become inaccessible at any time, including in situations where you urgently need access to your documents. You are responsible for maintaining alternative means of accessing critical document information.

Nothing in this section affects statutory rights, guarantees, or warranties that cannot be excluded under the consumer laws of your jurisdiction (including the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia).

10. Limitation of Liability

Read this section carefully. It limits our liability to you.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL TRAVEL DOCUMENT VAULT (PROVIDED BY MUSTAFA HAFEEZ), ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF DATA, WORK STOPPAGE, ACCURACY OF RESULTS, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS: MISSED FLIGHTS, DENIED BOARDING, DENIED ENTRY AT BORDER CONTROL, DEPORTATION, VISA REJECTIONS, VISA PENALTIES, IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS, EMERGENCY TRAVEL DOCUMENT COSTS, REBOOKING FEES, ACCOMMODATION COSTS, OR ANY OTHER TRAVEL-RELATED EXPENSES OR CONSEQUENCES.
• DATA LOSS: PERMANENT LOSS OF DOCUMENT IMAGES, SCANS, PHOTOS, NOTES, OR ANY OTHER DATA DUE TO APP DELETION, APP CRASHES, DEVICE LOSS, DEVICE DAMAGE, SOFTWARE BUGS, OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES, FAILED BACKUPS, FAILED RESTORES, CORRUPTED FILES, OR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A RESTORABLE BACKUP (YOUR OWN CLOUD BACKUP OR VAULT EXPORT).
• REMINDER FAILURES: FINES, PENALTIES, LATE FEES, EXPIRED DOCUMENTS, LAPSED VISAS, REVOKED PERMITS, IMMIGRATION STATUS ISSUES, EMPLOYMENT CONSEQUENCES, OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM A MISSED, DELAYED, SUPPRESSED, OR UNDELIVERED NOTIFICATION FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.
• CALCULATION FAILURES: DENIED BOARDING, DENIED ENTRY, OVERSTAY PENALTIES, VISA VIOLATIONS, OR TAX ASSESSMENTS RESULTING FROM AN INCORRECT, INCOMPLETE, OR OUTDATED VISA ALLOWANCE, SCHENGEN 90/180-DAY, OR TAX-RESIDENCY DAY-COUNT CALCULATION, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE ERROR ARISES FROM THE DATA YOU ENTERED, A CHANGE IN OFFICIAL RULES, OR A SOFTWARE DEFECT, IN EACH CASE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
• CLOUD SYNC AND BACKUP FAILURES: DATA CORRUPTION, FAILED BACKUPS, FAILED RESTORES, OR DATA LOSS DURING MULTI-DEVICE SYNC OR CLOUD BACKUP, INCLUDING iCLOUD OR GOOGLE DRIVE SERVICE ERRORS OR OUTAGES, EXPORT-FILE CORRUPTION, OR LOSS OF YOUR RECOVERY CODE (WHICH WE CANNOT RECOVER OR RESET).
• APP UNAVAILABILITY: DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE APP CRASHING, FREEZING, LOADING SLOWLY, BECOMING INACCESSIBLE, BEING REMOVED FROM APP STORES, OR MALFUNCTIONING WHEN YOU NEED IT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO AT AIRPORTS, BORDER CROSSINGS, EMBASSY APPOINTMENTS, VISA INTERVIEWS, OR OTHER TIME-SENSITIVE OR CRITICAL MOMENTS.
• SECURITY BREACHES: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, DATA EXPOSURE, IDENTITY THEFT, FRAUD, OR ANY CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM A STOLEN DEVICE, COMPROMISED DEVICE, WEAK PASSCODE, MALWARE, OPERATING SYSTEM VULNERABILITIES, THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE, OR ANY OTHER SECURITY INCIDENT.
• OCR ERRORS: INCORRECT DATA EXTRACTION, MISREAD DATES, MISREAD NUMBERS, TRANSPOSED CHARACTERS, OR ANY ERRORS IN AUTOMATED TEXT RECOGNITION THAT RESULT IN INCORRECT INFORMATION BEING STORED OR DISPLAYED.
• RELIANCE ON APP: ANY CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM YOUR RELIANCE ON THE APP AS YOUR SOLE OR PRIMARY METHOD OF TRACKING DOCUMENT EXPIRY DATES, STORING DOCUMENT INFORMATION, OR MANAGING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS.
• THIRD-PARTY ACTIONS: REJECTION OF EXPORTED DOCUMENTS BY EMBASSIES, CONSULATES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AIRLINES, HOTELS, OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES WHO REFUSE TO ACCEPT DIGITAL COPIES OR PRINTOUTS FROM THE APP.
• LEGAL CONSEQUENCES: ARREST, DETENTION, FINES, PENALTIES, LEGAL FEES, COURT COSTS, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL CONSEQUENCES ARISING FROM EXPIRED DOCUMENTS, INVALID TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION, OR IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS.
• BUSINESS OR EMPLOYMENT LOSSES: LOST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, LOST EMPLOYMENT, LOST INCOME, CONTRACT BREACHES, OR ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL OR FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM INABILITY TO TRAVEL OR DOCUMENT-RELATED ISSUES.

CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING: This limitation of liability applies regardless of whether we have been advised of the possibility of such damages, and regardless of whether any remedy fails of its essential purpose. This limitation applies to claims based on contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or any other legal theory.

TOTAL LIABILITY CAP: Our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the Application, regardless of the form of action (whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise), shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the amount you actually paid to us for the Application in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or (b) US $10.00. If you use the Free version exclusively, our total liability is likewise capped at US $10.00. This cap applies only to the extent permitted by applicable law and is subject to the jurisdiction-specific provisions below.

JURISDICTIONAL VARIATIONS: Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

EUROPEAN UNION USERS: For users in the European Union and European Economic Area, nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any right or remedy that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable EU or member-state consumer law, including remedies for lack of conformity of digital content. Our liability is limited only to the extent such limitation is permitted. Nothing limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or willful misconduct.

UNITED KINGDOM USERS: For consumers in the United Kingdom, nothing in these Terms limits or excludes your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or other mandatory UK consumer law, including your rights where digital content is faulty or not as described. Our liability is limited only to the extent permitted by UK law, and nothing limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud.

AUSTRALIAN USERS: For users in Australia, nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be lawfully excluded. Where we are liable for breach of a non-excludable consumer guarantee, our liability is limited to, at our option: (a) in the case of services, re-supply of the services or payment of the cost of re-supply; and (b) in the case of goods, repair or replacement of the goods, supply of equivalent goods, or payment of the cost of repair, replacement, or equivalent supply. For all other claims not involving breach of non-excludable consumer guarantees, the liability cap above applies.

PERSONAL INJURY & FRAUD EXCLUSION: Nothing in this Section 10 limits or excludes our liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence or willful misconduct; or (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

11. Indemnification

YOU AGREE TO DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD COMPLETELY HARMLESS Travel Document Vault (provided by Mustafa Hafeez), and its affiliates, contractors, licensors, directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, debts, and expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and litigation expenses) arising from or related to:

• Your Content: Any content, data, information, or documents you upload, store, transmit, or display through the Application.
• Breach of Terms: Your violation of any provision of these Terms or any applicable law or regulation.
• Third-Party Rights: Your violation of any third-party right, including without limitation any intellectual property right, privacy right, publicity right, or confidentiality obligation.
• Misrepresentation: Any misrepresentation you make regarding your eligibility to use the Application or your compliance with these Terms.
• Third-Party Claims: Any claims brought by third parties arising from your unlawful conduct, your material breach of these Terms, or your infringement of their rights.

This indemnification does not apply to the extent a claim arises from our negligence, willful misconduct, or our breach of these Terms, or where such an indemnity cannot be imposed on a consumer under applicable law. This indemnification obligation will survive termination of these Terms and your use of the Application. You agree to cooperate fully in the defense of any claim. We reserve the right to assume control of the defense of any claim subject to indemnification, in which case you agree to cooperate reasonably with that defense.

12. Termination and Survival

Termination Rights: We reserve the right to suspend or restrict distribution, support, or updates, and to terminate your license, where: (a) you materially breach these Terms; (b) we are required to do so by law, a court order, law enforcement, or an app store; (c) unexpected technical or security issues require it; or (d) we discontinue the Application under Section 16. Termination does not remove the Application or your data from your device. If you have purchased Pro, the features you have paid for continue to function on your device in the last installed v1.x version, except where termination results from your material breach. Your statutory refund rights and app store refund policies are unaffected.

Your Right to Terminate: You may terminate your use of the Application at any time by uninstalling it from your device. Uninstalling the Application will permanently delete all locally stored data unless you have a restorable backup (Your Own Cloud backup or a Vault Export). A device or system backup cannot restore your documents on a new or reset device.

Effect of Termination: Upon termination: (a) your right and license to use the Application will immediately cease; (b) where termination results from your material breach, you must uninstall the Application from all devices; (c) all disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification obligations shall survive; (d) we shall have no obligation to maintain, provide access to, or return any of your data; and (e) you remain liable for all obligations incurred prior to termination.

No Refunds Upon Termination: No refunds or pro-rata payments will be issued if we terminate your access or if you choose to terminate your use of the Application, except as may be required by applicable law or the app store's refund policy.

Survival: The following sections shall survive any termination of these Terms: User Responsibilities & Assumption of Risk, Not an Official Document & Travel Disclaimer, Data Storage and Loss, No Guarantees, Intellectual Property, Disclaimer of Warranties, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Governing Law & Dispute Resolution, Severability & Entire Agreement, and any other provisions that by their nature should survive.

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirate of Dubai, without regard to its conflict of law provisions, except where mandatory consumer protection laws of your jurisdiction apply. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

Informal Resolution: Before filing any formal dispute, you agree to first contact us at support@traveldocumentvault.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

Binding Arbitration: Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Application that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration as follows, except that for consumers in the EU, EEA, and United Kingdom arbitration is optional and applies only as described below:

• US Users: Arbitration shall be conducted under the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Consumer Arbitration Rules, remotely by videoconference unless both parties agree to in-person arbitration.
• EU/EEA/UK Consumers: Arbitration is optional for you and applies only if you expressly agree to it after a dispute has arisen. You always retain the right to bring claims before the courts or consumer dispute bodies of your country of residence. If you do choose arbitration, it will be conducted under ICC or LCIA rules in your home country or remotely by videoconference.
• Other International Consumers (including Australia and Canada): Where the consumer law of your country makes pre-dispute arbitration unenforceable or gives you non-waivable court access, arbitration is optional for you and applies only if you expressly agree to it after a dispute has arisen. Otherwise, arbitration shall be conducted remotely by videoconference under AAA International Arbitration Rules or mutually agreed arbitration rules.
• Language: All arbitrations shall be conducted in English.
• Decision: The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding.

Arbitration Costs: For claims under US $10,000, we shall pay all arbitration filing fees, administrative fees, and arbitrator fees. You only pay if the arbitration is found to be frivolous under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b) standards. For claims of US $10,000 or more, costs shall be allocated according to the applicable arbitration rules.

CLASS ACTION WAIVER: YOU AND TRAVEL DOCUMENT VAULT AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Unless both you and we agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. THIS WAIVER APPLIES ONLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW; WHERE SUCH A WAIVER IS UNENFORCEABLE, YOUR STATUTORY COLLECTIVE-REDRESS RIGHTS ARE UNAFFECTED.

Exceptions: Either party may bring claims in small claims court if eligible. Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in the courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) for matters related to intellectual property or unauthorized access to the Application.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to support@traveldocumentvault.com within 60 days of first accepting these Terms. If you opt out, you retain the right to bring individual claims in court, but you still waive the right to participate in class actions, collective actions, or representative proceedings.

Governing Law - Consumer Protection Override: Except where prohibited by mandatory consumer protection laws, these Terms shall be governed by UAE law. For consumers in the EU, EEA, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, California, or other jurisdictions with non-waivable consumer rights, the mandatory consumer protection laws of your jurisdiction shall apply to the extent they cannot be waived by contract. UAE law applies only to the extent it does not conflict with such mandatory protections.

International Users: If you are located outside the United Arab Emirates, the governing law and dispute resolution provisions above are subject to the mandatory consumer protection laws of your country of residence, to the extent such laws cannot be waived by contract. Additionally, any disputes shall be subject to the applicable terms and conditions of the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, as applicable.

14. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before it takes effect, by updating this page and by other reasonable means. Material changes will not retroactively reduce rights or features you have already paid for. By continuing to access or use our Application after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms.

15. Severability & Entire Agreement

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, void, unenforceable, or illegal by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected or impaired thereby. In such event, the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be severed or narrowed only to the extent legally permitted. Where consumer protection law requires that an unfair term be treated as non-binding, that term falls away entirely and your mandatory consumer protections are unaffected.

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Pricing Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Travel Document Vault (provided by Mustafa Hafeez) regarding your use of the Application and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, communications, representations, or proposals, whether oral or written, between you and us.

No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision. No waiver of any provision shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of that term or any other term. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by our authorized representative.

No Assignment: You may not assign, transfer, or delegate these Terms or your rights and obligations hereunder without our prior written consent. Any attempted assignment in violation of this provision shall be null and void. We may freely assign these Terms without restriction.

Headings: The section headings in these Terms are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect.

Language: These Terms are drafted in English. Any translation is provided for convenience only. In the event of any conflict between the English version and a translation, the English version shall prevail. If the mandatory consumer law of your country grants you rights in relation to the language of consumer contracts, those rights are unaffected.